Pastina Soup: The Cure for a Sick Vegetarian Baby

Serafina caught a really nasty virus, which gave her a fever of 105. We took her to the doctor and we have to wait it out a bit, with a series of sponge baths and occasional Tyenol. A sick baby is absolutely heartbreaking. Two days ago, she was too wiggly for my lap, but now she sits quietly staring at me as if to say, “Please mommy, fix this”. She is also a bit of a fireball; her own heat source. Last night, we got two hours of sleep, and probably watched an hour of Pingu (a fantastic Swedish claymation show, click here for a peek).

We may make things from scratch most often, but with 2 hours of sleep and a baby who only wants to be held to feel better, you work with what you are given. Last night, we ate ravioli with cream sauce and wilted spinach. I used this recipe, but just threw the spinach in when making the sauce. Yum Yum!

Meanwhile I made Serafina this simple soup to help her heal. Since canned soup is not quite healthy, and it is rare to find a vegetarian version of chicken noodle, I make my own. I discovered that the soup is very easy to make, and you can decide how thick you want it, which is nice for a patient to decide.

Pastina Soup

4 cups of low sodium veggie broth, or more if you wanted it diluted

1 carrot thinly sliced and chopped

1 celery stalk thinly sliced and chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced and chopped

1/2 cup of stellini (or similar tiny, itty, bitty pastina)

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium with veggie broth.

2. Add in the carrots, celery, and onions. Let simmer to a boil. Then, add in the pastinas and lower the heat.